Brother of Mine
by Thiswouldbeakick
Summary: Kili and Thorin are injured when the Company is attacked just outside Rivendell. Kili makes a very bad decision to get Thorin the help he needs. Please R R.
1. Chapter 1

**This story was posted on here before, but when my previous account was hacked into, it was deleted. So, now I have a new account and this story will be re-posted.  
**  
 **I hope you all still enjoy it :-) All reviews are highly appreciated.  
** **The next chapter is up a.s.a.p.**

* * *

He felt the Orc's arrow lodge itself into his shoulder. In reply he fired an arrow in the direction of the Orc that had wounded him. It hit the foul beast right in the eye and the Orc fell lifeless to the ground.

Kili stumbled back against the rocks he was hiding behind and moaned softly in pain. He looked down at his injured left shoulder. The arrow had struck him close to the armpit, but it seemed to be mostly a flesh wound. Still it hurt quite badly.  
Kili broke the arrow off as close to the tip as possible. He would worry later about the tip buried in his flesh. Thorin was more important now.

All the Dwarves, and even the Hobbit, were defending the motionless body of their leader.  
Thorin lay on his side on the grass, his eyes closed and his face white as snow. Kili could see two arrows sticking out of his uncle's chest and a still growing pool of blood on the ground.  
"In Durin's name, let him still be alive" he muttered.

Close to his uncle Fili was slaying a Warg. He was covered in blood, which was also partially his own. The blonde Dwarf had sustained a large gash to his upper arm and he was moving as if his back was killing him. Kili was relieved to see his brother was still on his feet and fighting off the enemy.

As sudden as the attack had begun, it also ended. Most of the Orcs and Wargs lay dead on ground and the remaining two fled for their lives.

The Company quickly gathered around Thorin. Kili picked up his pack up from the ground and he too made his way over to his uncle, worried sick about the state he would find him in.  
On the short walk it took, Kili made sure the straps of his pack were covering up his wound. He believed no-one else had seen him get hit and he did not need the others fumbling over his injuries. Their main concern now should be Thorin.

When Kili reached the others, Balin was already kneeling beside Thorin. The old Dwarf checked the prince's condition with an extremely worried expression on his face.

Fili welcomed his brother back with a bear hug, relieved to see him. The hug caused Kili to hiss in pain, for Fili's strong arms wrapped around him tightly. Fili pulled away from his brother in alarm. "Are you injured?" he asked, concern sounding through in his voice.  
"No, just a little bruised" Kili answered. Fili watched his brother disbelievingly for a moment, but then decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The brothers turned to Balin to get more information about their uncle.  
From closeby Thorin's wounds looked even more severe. The arrows were stuck on the right side of his chest and his breathing was pained. He lay unconscious on the grass, which was already stained with quite a large amount of his blood.  
"No major organs or blood vessels seem to be hit" Balin concluded, "but these wounds are beyond my skill to mend. Orc arrows are usually poisonous and we do not carry the necessary herbs to treat it".

Balin looked up at Gandalf, who had also rejoined the company.  
"What can we do?" he asked the wizard helplessly. Gandalf seemed to think those words over.  
"I know that he will not like it" the old wizard said finally, "but his best chances lie with Lord Elrond of Rivendell. The Elves' land is closeby".  
"What are we waiting for then?!" Dwalin said, surprising all the other Dwarves.  
"Are you out of your mind?! No!" came Glóin's angry reply.  
"You want him to live, don't you?!" Dwalin shouted back, advancing on his comrade and staring at him madly, "you heard the wizard: the Elves are his only chance!"  
Glóin looked over at Balin for support, but the white-haired dwarf merely looked back sadly, the unspoken struggle showing on his face. "We should go" he said firmly, "otherwise we can just as well bury him here right away!"

Dwalin bent over Thorin and broke the arrows off, to avoid inflicting him more pain or worsening his injuries on the journey to Rivendell. He then lifted Thorin over his shoulder as carefully as he could.  
For a second it looked as though the Dwarf prince was regaining his consciousness, for he let out a soft moan and twitched his fingers. The Company looked hopeful at their leader, but hereafter he went completely limp again and hung over Dwalin's shoulder like a piece of dead game.

* * *

Gandalf led the way in the direction of Rivendell. Dwalin walked slower than usual to prevent Thorin from being jostled around too much and causing him more pain.  
The rest of the Company followed in silence. Fili was bandaging the gash on his forearm with a make-shift bandage made from a torn off piece of his shirt, Bofur was cleaning his hat from all the blood of the Orcs and Wargs and Bombur was already eating again.

Kili walked silently next to his brother. Balin's words about the arrows being poisonous had scared him, but still he had kept his mouth shut about his injury. In the meantime, every step he took was getting harder and black spots were blurring his vision. He started to stumble over small rocks and uneven spaces in the ground. The poison of the arrow was rapidly spreading through his body.

Fili had been watching his brother from the corner of his eyes for some time now, pretending to be adjusting his bandage. Kili had turned ghostly white, which worried him. After quite a bad stumble from his little brother, which nearly brought him down, he grabbed Kili by the elbow and stopped him dead in his tracks.  
"Are you truly alright?" Fili asked. "Yes, of course I am, stop worrying about me" came Kili's bitter reply. He cast his brother an irritated look. "I am just exhausted from that battle" he added.  
"You know you can tell me if anything is wrong, right?" Fili said worried.  
"Will you stop it?! I told you I am fine" Kili snapped. He yanked his arm free from Fili's grip and walked on, leaving his brother behind.

Fili looked at his brother's back like a kicked puppy. He couldn't say that his brother's words hadn't hurt him. Kili had never uttered a single word to him in that kind of tone, not even when they had been in a fight. He was angry with his brother, but at the same time he was worried sick. It was not at all like Kili to behave in such a way. "Something is really wrong with you…" he whispered to himself.  
Fili too walked on, but made sure to keep some distance between himself and Kili.

* * *

Without the comforting feeling of his brother walking beside him, Fili was starting to feel the pain of his own injuries. The gash on his arm was throbbing and every muscle in his back was aching. He bit his lip to drown the pain and marched on more firmly. They needed to make it to Rivendell, Thorin was in desperate need of help. Fili cast a glance at his uncle, who still hung motionless over Dwalin's shoulders. "Hang in there, uncle" he muttered to himself.

* * *

The Company trudged on in silence for what felt like eternity. Suddenly Gandalf made a triumphant sound and pointed towards a large rock.  
"There is the pathway through the mountains and into Rivendell" he said.

The wizard led the way over to the rocks and slid down into the small cave which formed the entrance to the pathway. Balin jumped down next and helped Dwalin get Thorin down. The Dwarf prince had not given any more signs of reaching consciousness.

Fili cautiously slid down into the cave, trying not to hurt his back any more. Kili, who was close behind him, struck into him at the bottom of the cave. Fili let out an involuntary gasp of pain when his brother's shoulders collided with the painful bruises on his back. He turned round to look at his younger brother, who ignored him and stumbled along in the direction of the pathway.

Fili sighed in frustration. He was still not convinced that Kili was alright and he did not understand why he would not just admit it...


	2. Chapter 2

The pathway was very narrow and steep at some points. Dwalin had to walk carefully and slowly to avoid slamming Thorin into the rocks at either side of the path.

Fili walked right behind Kili, who was tripping over every rock now. Kili was ghostly pale and had not spoken in a long time. Fili knew something was very wrong with his little brother and he expected him to pass out somewhere along the way. But, even though he was still angry, Fili would be there to catch him if he fell.

The Company advanced quite quickly, although Bombur had already been stuck twice and Gandalf hit his head several times on overhanging rocks.  
Kili would normally have roared with laughter about these things, Fili thought. But now they could not even make the corners of his mouth twitch or put a sparkle in his eyes. 

* * *

More light showed through with every step they took. The end of the pathway was definitely getting closer.

After a few more minutes it opened up into a mountain pass. Balin nearly walked into Bilbo, who had stopped and looked ahead in utter amazement.  
At the foot of the mountain they had passed through, lay a large valley and a little ahead they could see the roofs and courtyards of Rivendell. In the valley below a river ran and everywhere waterfalls made their way down. The sun bathed the entire sight in a golden light.

Fili felt his spirits rise a little. They had made it, help was near now. He cast a look at Thorin, who hung still unconscious over Dwalin's shoulder, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing. If Fili hadn't known better he could pretend his uncle was just sleeping peacefully.

"Well" Gandalf said, moving on, "let's not keep Lord Elrond waiting".  
"Waiting?" Bofur snorted, "he does not even know we are here".  
"Oh, you are quite wrong" Gandalf smiled, "Lord Elrond has already known for some time that we are on his grounds. He knows everything that happens in his land".

And indeed, when the Company crossed one of the narrow bridges that formed the entrance to Rivendell, they found Elrond waiting for them in the stone courtyard on the other side.  
"Gandalf!" he greeted the wizard, "it has been a long time".  
"Lord Elrond" Gandalf answered with a nod of his head, "it has indeed been a long time since I was here".  
"What brings you, thirteen dwarves and a Hobbit to Rivendell?" Elrond asked, cutting the welcome greetings short.  
"We have come to seek aid" the wizard said gravely, "one of our company was injured in a battle with an Orc-pack just beyond your borders".

Elrond gazed past Gandalf at Dwalin, who was still carrying Thorin. It was evident to him who the injured one was.  
Dwalin looked apprehensively at the Elf as he approached him. Elrond seemed to have caught it, for he said "I just want to help him". Dwalin considered that for a moment, before slowly lowering Thorin onto the ground.  
Elrond immediately knelt down beside the Dwarf prince, carefully pulling aside his coat to have a better look at his wounds.

"Is he going to be alright?" Bofur asked.  
"It is too early to tell for certain, but with the right care I think he might be" Elrond answered. He swiftly stood up and spoke in Elvish to two other Elves closeby. They came over, picked up Thorin and carried him away.  
"We are taking him to our House of Healing" Elrond said, addressing the Company in general, "we will be treating him there".

A sigh of relief went through all the Dwarves. Their leader was in good hands, even though it were Elf-hands. There was hope again for his recovery and for their quest.

But that relieve was only short-lived. Suddenly they were all alarmed by a cry from Fili.  
"Kili!" he had yelped. His brother swayed alarmingly on his feet, his breathing had become heavy and his eyes unfocussed. Fili stared anxiously at his younger sibling, frozen with fear.

With a thud and a metallic clank of his sword hitting the stones of the courtyard, Kili sank to his knees. He let his chin rest on his chest and took a shuddering breath. Upon exhaling the most heartbreaking moan escaped him.  
"You idiot!" Fili told his brother, falling to his knees beside him, "you are absolutely not alright!" The panic was evident in Fili's voice and visible in his eyes.  
The entire Company stirred in shock. They had not expected this to happen...

Kili did not seem to hear any of the commotion around him. He was close to losing consciousness altogether. He just sat on his knees, chin resting on his chest, eyes half-closed and breathing heavily. The poison of the arrow was rapidly spreading through his body and he was no longer able to fight it.

Fili shifted so he was in front of his brother, facing him. He grabbed Kili's upper arms and shook him gently.  
"Kili? Look at me. Tell me what happened?! Please, come on…"  
Fili felt everybody stare at him and his brother. "Help him" he pleaded, looking at the others desperately, choking on the words. But shock had made it impossible for anyone else to move. They did not know what to do.

"Kili? "Kili, can you hear me?" Fili tried, focussing his attention on his brother again. Kili didn't give any sign of recognition.  
"I need you to tell me what happened to you" Fili pleaded. He placed a hand on the back of his brother's neck. Kili felt a comfortable warmth radiating from that hand, which pulled him back to reality a little. He groaned softly and lifted his head slightly to look at Fili. His eyes reflected utter pain and fear.  
"What happened to you?" Fili asked softly. Kili raised a trembling hand to his left shoulder and Fili understood his meaning instantly.

"Help me get this pack off him" Fili said to no one in particular.  
Bilbo stepped forward and knelt down beside Kili too. Together they started removing the pack from Kili's back.  
When Fili worked the strap on Kili's left shoulder, his brother screamed out. He doubled over in pain and buried his face in Fili's shoulder.

Fili was scared. He could not stand that his actions had made his brother scream out. He placed a hand on the back of Kili's head, who pressed his face deeper into Fili's shoulder. "I am sorry" Fili said, voice breaking.

Very carefully Fili and Bilbo were able to fully remove the pack. Kili winced another couple of times, causing Fili to shiver every time he did so.  
As soon as Kili's pack lay beside him, his injuries immediately became clear. On his left shoulder a large blood stain was visible, together with the remains of the broken off arrow.  
"Oh, by Durin..." Fili muttered, looking horror-struck at the wound. He pushed Kili's chin up with his index-finger, making his brother look at him.  
"Why, Kili, why did you do this?! Why didn't you say anything?!" Fili was close to tears now. He just could not comprehend why his brother had not told him anything about being shot. Kili stared back at Fili with a pained expression on his face.  
"S-Sorry…" he managed to choke out. His eyes then rolled back and he lost consciousness, slumping against his brother's chest.

Fili wrapped his arms around his motionless brother. The feeling of Kili's, although laboured, breathing under his arms calmed him down a fraction. At least his brother _was_ still breathing.

Elrond appeared beside the two young Dwarves.  
"Come with me" he said, placing a hand on Fili's shoulder, "we will take care of him too".  
Fili gave a little nod. "I am sorry for this, little brother" he said softly to Kili. He pushed his brother slightly off him and placed a shoulder under his stomach, lifting him up with apparent ease. Even though Kili was unconscious, he still let out a groan of pain. Fili felt his heart break by that sound.  
Slowly he turned towards Elrond. "Please lead the way".

Elrond turned on the spot and set off in the direction of the House of Healing. Fili followed him closely.

Now that he was away from his comrades, Fili felt himself starting to break down. "Please Kili, don't go. Don't leave me" he whispered to his brother as he walked. The tears stung in his eyes and for the first time Fili allowed them to fall… 

* * *

**Thanks for reading again. All reviews are highly appreciated! :-)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Fili followed Elrond through corridors and over courtyards, until they finally reached the House of Healing.

The House of Healing was actually a row of gazebo-like buildings overlooking the stunning valley. The buildings were connected by wooden boardwalks.  
Elrond walked to the last one and entered, Fili following him closely.

Inside it was comfortably warm. There were three beds, along with some chairs and a table. The first bed was already occupied by Thorin, with a dark-haired Elf attending to his wounds. Elrond motioned to one of the other beds and Fili carefully laid his brother down on it.

"How is he, Lindir?" Elrond asked the Elf who was taking care of Thorin.  
"We have taken out the arrows and treated his wounds. He looks peaceful" Lindir answered, "we will apply the bandages now, then he can rest".  
"Thank you, Lindir" Elrond simply said. 

* * *

When he had lain Kili down, Fili slumped into the armchair closest to his brother's bed. He stared into empty space, processing that day's events in his mind.  
Why had Kili not told anyone about his injury? Why had he driven himself to the limits of his strength to reach Rivendell on his own? Could it be that Kili no longer trusted him?  
At that moment it hit Fili that he could lose his little brother today. The poison was spreading further through Kili's body with every second and he could lose the battle for survival at any moment...  
No! Fili could not allow himself to think like that. He had to be strong now, for Kili.

Elrond walked up to Kili and, without speaking, began peeling the layers of clothing away that were covering the wounds.  
The tip of the arrow was clearly visible in Kili's shoulder. The blood and puss leaking from the wound didn't make it a pretty sight.

Suddenly Kili whimpered loudly. He had regained consciousness enough to feel the pain again.  
Fili jumped up from the chair and was by his brother's side in a flash. He took Kili's hand is his and softly spoke soothing words to him.  
Elrond hesitated just a second as he looked at the two brothers one by one. Somehow they reminded him of his own sons.

"You're going to be fine" Fili assured his brother.  
"Hurts… so bad…" Kili choked out.  
"That's the poison of the arrow in the wound" Elrond told him, "it had all the time to spread". Kili gave the Elf an apologetic look through half-closed and pain-filled eyes. By now he seemed to realize how stupid his actions had been.

Elrond started working on the wound. As soon as his fingers made contact with Kili's skin to remove the arrowtip, Kili screamed out. One hand took a tight hold of Fili's, nearly breaking his older brother's fingers.  
"Easy, Kili, you are doing great" Fili comforted his brother, but Kili did not quite seem to hear him. His pain was so intense that everything else was drowned out. He tried desperately to cling to Fili's words of comfort, but in the end even that was lost in a world of pain... 

* * *

It felt like ages before Elrond was finally finished. "The tip is out" the Elf said, "now I will have to treat the poison". Kili did not say anything, but took a still firmer grip on Fili's hand.  
Elrond placed his hands over Kili's wound and muttered nearly inaudibly in Elfish.  
All the while Kili was on the verge of screaming out in pain. He was tossing about, trying to get away from the Elf's healing hands.  
The only thing Fili could think of doing was allowing his brother to crush his hand and whisper soothing words to him. He knew Kili did not easily give in to pain, so him acting like this must mean he was in extreme agony.

After about fifteen minutes Elrond finally stepped back and let go of Kili's shoulder. The wound was treated and bandaged, but still very painful.

The pain had drained Kili of all his remaining energy. He lay quite still now, breathing heavily and still clutching his brother's hand.  
"It's alright, it's over" Fili said to him softly, in the meantime looking pleadingly at Elrond. The Elf understood what he meant without the blonde Dwarf actually asking.  
"Kili" Elrond said, "don't worry. I am just making sure that you will sleep for a while. You need to rest". Kili shifted his gaze to Elrond, showing his agreement. It appeared he was even looking forward to not having to deal with the pain for a while.

Elrond placed a hand on Kili's forehead again and muttered words in a language neither Fili nor Kili understood.  
Fili felt his brother's grip on his hand loosen gradually and his breathing became calmer. Kili's eyes slowly closed as he drifted off into the enchanted sleep.

"He will be sleeping for a good while now" Elrond said, pulling his hand away, "his shoulder will be hurting for some time, but I believe he will be fine".  
"Thank you" Fili muttered. Elrond nodded his head once in return. He shortly checked up on Thorin in the next bed and then walked out of the House of Healing, leaving Fili alone with his unconscious brother and uncle.

As soon as Elrond had left, Fili sank back into the armchair. Now that Kili and Thorin were safe and their wounds treated, the heavy load he had been carrying all day was lifted off his shoulders and he felt terribly exhausted. The warmth in the House of Healing made him drowsy and before long he felt sleep overtake him. 

* * *

Fili awoke with a start. He looked around disorientated for a moment, before it all came back to him.  
He stretched, wincing as the bruised muscles in his back protested. Outside the sun had set and hundreds of stars had appeared in the clear sky.  
He looked over at his brother. It appeared Kili had not moved a muscle since that afternoon and was vast asleep. Thorin, too, was lying deadly still and seemed not to have regained consciousness yet.

Fili slowly rose from his chair. He felt he needed a whiff of fresh air to properly clear his mind. He walked past the beds and stepped onto the boardwalk outside. He leaned back against the wooden wall of the House of Healing, looking out over the star- and moonlit valley, the sky reflecting in the river below.  
His thoughts raced once again over the events of the day. How he had seen Thorin getting injured and believing him to have died, how he had been afraid that one of the Orcs or Wargs would kill him, the realization that he could have lost Kili forever today…  
He felt panic rise, a rushing sound in his ears, and allowed himself to slide down against the wall. Sitting on the ground he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in them. He was breathing heavily now as fear and shock were gradually taking over. Fili tried to fight it, but knew he could not suppress it much longer. Any minute now he would scream out in anger, frustation and hurt...

Being too preoccupied with trying to control his emotions, Fili completely missed the dark figure appearing on the boardwalk beside him… 

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Please leave a review, all are highly appreciated :-)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

The figure stood motionless in the shadows, just looking down at the young Dwarf.

Fili, in the meantime, tried with all his might to control his breathing. Emotions were coursing through him like never before. He did not know what else to do than just let it happen, let it all pour out for once. He silently cried into his knees and shudders rocked his body.

The figure in the shadows finally stepped out into the moonlight, seeing Fili breaking down in front of him.  
"Fili?" A familiar voice said anxiously. Fili's head snapped up. He knew that voice very well, but it was the last one he had expected to hear.  
"Thorin!" he cried out, immensely relieved to see him awake. He quickly wiped his tears away, for he did not want his uncle to see them.

Fili made to get up, but Thorin placed a large hand on his shoulder.  
"No, no, stay down" he said.

With a great effort Thorin sat down on the ground beside Fili. The actions caused him to wince in pain a couple of times as his wounds protested. Fili had resumed his original position, with his face buried in his knees.  
He and Thorin sat quietly for a while. The only sounds came from the waterfalls making their way down to the valley and a soft wind rustling the leaves on the trees.

Thorin was the one to break the silence. "Tell me what happened".  
Fili raised his head marginally up from his knees, so he could just look at his uncle.  
"Obviously I have missed some things" Thorin added with the hint of a smile.  
Fili hesitated. He did not really feel like reliving the events again, but was certain that Thorin would not give in until he had been told everything.  
Fili took a deep breath and started to tell everything that had happened. He found it difficult to speak about earlier that day and found himself stammering more than once.

Thorin listened intently to Fili's version of the events, a serious expression on his face. He noticed a change in Fili's voice when he spoke of Kili hiding his injuries and collapsing onto the stone courtyard. The young Dwarf had started telling about what had happened in the House of Healing, but halfway through his voice trailed off and he fell silent.  
It took a moment before Thorin realized that Fili was not going to continue. He looked at the blonde Dwarf and noticed he was shivering all over. It dawned on him that it was not that Fili did not want to continue, he just could not.

Pain was emanating from Fili so strongly now, that it was almost palpable. Thorin put his arm around his nephew's shoulders.  
"It's okay, I know this is hard for you" he said. The comforting words still sounded quite blunt coming from his mouth.  
"I just don't understand why he did it" Fili blurted out, "why didn't he say anything? I'm his brother, for Durin's sake! No matter the rest of the Company, but he could have at least told me! He… he could have been killed by what he did…" Fili took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to call himself down again, but did not quite succeed at it.  
"But he didn't die, he's still with you" Thorin said, squeezing Fili's shoulder in comfort.  
"I just cannot bear to live without him" Fili added softly, "how would I go on without him?"

Thorin considered those last words, staring out over the valley.  
"I know" he said after a while, "and it is very hard to move on after the death of a family member, especially when you are as close as you two are. But… in the end… you will have to. It took me a long time, but I managed. Still, there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of Frerin and realize how much I miss him".  
Fili looked at his uncle, not knowing what to say. Never before had he realized that his worst fear, was in fact his uncle's reality.

Fili and Kili had never known Frerin, for he had died before they were even born.  
"I'm sorry…" Fili said softly, "I didn't mean to offend you".  
Thorin kept staring at the river below. "You didn't" he said, "would you like to hear his story, though?"  
Fili nodded slowly and Thorin began telling of the Battle of Azanulbizar, in which Frerin had perished.

Fili listened to his uncle breathlessly. Never before had he heard him speak of that battle or of Frerin's death. In fact, Thorin never spoke much of his brother at all.

Thorin's deep, rumbling voice had a calming effect on Fili. He felt his panic and worries sink away, even though the story was a sad one. His respect for Thorin only grew as he listened to his tale. Also he began to appreciate how fortunate he was to still have his brother with him. Kili had surely made some bad decisions today, but was not taken from him.

When Thorin finished speaking, he cast a glance at Fili. He had felt his nephew calm down during the tale.  
"Thank you" Fili said softly, "it means a lot to me that you told me this". Thorin gave Fili a small smile. It had meant a lot to him that his nephew had wanted to listen to it.

"But, luckily, you are not in that situation" Thorin said determinedly, "Kili is still alive and I am sure he will make a full recovery". Fili nodded feebly in reply.  
Thorin gave Fili a reassuring pat on the back, which caused the young Dwarf to whimper in pain.  
"What did I do?" Thorin asked, hands raised in apology.  
"Nothing" Fili answered through gritted teeth, "my back's just bruised from that battle". The pain only slowly ebbed away.  
"Did you have anyone tend to it?" Thorin asked suspiciously.  
Fili hesitated. "Uh… no, not really" he answered. Thorin gave him a stern look. Fili held his uncle's gaze for a few seconds, then sighed deeply.  
He turned his back to his uncle and Thorin carefully pulled up his nephew's shirt.

There were black bruises covering Fili's back from shoulder blades to hips.  
"These must hurt" Thorin said with a grunt, "how did you get them?"  
"An Orc slammed me into some rocks" Fili answered, "I was… defending you… after you were injured...".

Thorin suddenly felt a deep respect for his oldest nephew. He really was a very brave Dwarf and an asset to this quest.  
He let Fili's shirt fall down again. "You'll be fine, no broken bones" he said, "it will hurt for a while, though".  
Fili sighed miserably and leaned back against the wall again.

"I am proud of you" Thorin said a bit out of the blue. Fili stared at his uncle thunderstruck. He was never told anything like this before, by Thorin or anyone else.  
Thorin smiled. The look on Fili's face was all he needed to know that his words meant a lot to his nephew.

"Come on" Thorin said to Fili after a while, "I feel like resting again. These wounds have taken a lot of my energy".  
Fili helped Thorin get up and together they went inside again. Thorin could not move faster than a slow shuffle, limping heavily. Moving around caused him considerable pain, but he hid it well.

Kili had not moved an inch. He was lying on his back, breathing slowly, still in a deep, enchanted sleep.  
Thorin looked at the sleeping form of his youngest nephew. "He's peaceful now" he said.  
Fili agreed. His brother was indeed completely calm now. He, too, was feeling calm for the first time since they had reached Rivendell.

Thorin climbed into his bed. "Go to sleep, Fili" he said, for the young Dwarf still stood next to Kili's bed, "you need your rest as well". Fili could not agree more. He felt a lot better after his midnight talk with Thorin, but was still exhausted.  
He glanced longingly to the last unoccupied bed in the House of Healing.  
Thorin caught his doubt. "I am sure you are allowed to sleep there" he said.

Fili hesitated only a short moment, then pulled off his boots and climbed into the bed. He rolled onto his side to prevent hurting his back any further and laid his head down on the soft pillow. It took less than a minute before he had drifted off to sleep.

Thorin lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't long before he heard Fili's soft snores, which told him the young Dwarf had fallen asleep. Thorin smiled a little at the comforting sound.  
Long had he doubted his choice to take his nephews on this quest, but it looked like he had been wrong in doubting them. He was proud of them, both of them.  
Slowly Thorin closed his eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. 

* * *

**Thanks again for reading! This was the penultimate chapter, so one more to come...  
** **Still, all reviews are appreciated :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

Kili woke up from the sunlight shining on his face. For a while he lay motionless with his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine.  
Little by little he became aware of the sounds surrounding him: birds chirping, water flowing, the soft rustle of the wind through leaves, snoring. Snoring?  
Kili slowly opened his eyes and looked up at a wooden ceiling. The sun had only just come up, so it must still be very early in the morning.

It took him a moment to remember where he was and what had happened. The arrow, Thorin, Rivendell, his outburst towards Fili. Oh, bugger, Fili!  
Kili sat upright quickly, too quickly. A blinding pain shot through his shoulder and he immediately regretted his actions. He took a couple of deep breaths as the pain slowly ebbed away to a manageable level.

He looked to his left and saw Thorin lying in the next bed. His uncle was sleeping on his back and was definitely the source of the snoring. Kili felt relief wash over him, for it looked like Thorin was doing fine.

A small smile crossed Kili's face when he saw his brother lying in the bed opposite him.  
Fili was lying on his front, hair tangled up and one arm hanging over the edge of the bed. He was breathing deep and slow and the occasional soft snore escaped him.  
Kili noticed that his brother's blankets were only covering him from the waist down and that he was shivering slightly, probably from the lack of warmth. He did not like the idea of his brother being cold, so he got out of his bed with a grunt in pain and cautiously shuffled over to Fili.

As Kili reached his brother's bed, he saw that Fili's shirt had crawled up a bit during the night and the lower part of his bruised back was exposed. Kili looked at the large bruises. A lump formed in his throat as he realized that these must hurt badly. He swallowed the lump away and gently let his fingertips trace the bruises on the small of his brother's back, feeling the warmth coming off them.  
Fili groaned softly and stirred beneath Kili's touch. Kili quickly yanked his hand away, cursing himself silently. He had not meant to wake his brother up. But after his brief movements Fili moved no further and resumed his peaceful sleep.  
Kili sighed in relief and pulled the blankets up to over his brother's shoulders.

He was not sure what to do next. All of Rivendell was probably still asleep at this early hour. Also he did not exactly have the strength yet to wander about. There was not much else he could do but wait until either his brother or Thorin would wake up or another member of the Company would come looking.

Kili settled himself in one of the armchairs, looking at Fili's sleeping form.  
He sat there for he did not know how long. All sorts of thoughts passed through his mind. What would their mother be doing now? What would Erebor be like? Would Smaug still be alive? Would the Orc poison leave some permanent damage to his shoulder?  
He was pulled back to reality by his brother waking up. Fili groaned softly and moved his shoulders, the joints cracking audibly.  
Kili leaned forward in his chair, so he was closer to his brother. Fili opened his eyes and looked sleepily right at Kili.  
"Hey…" Kili said softly. It took Fili a few seconds to realize that he was staring into his little brother's face.  
"Kili! "he cried out, finally realizing who was there and jumping out of the bed.

The brothers pulled each other into a tight embrace, glad to see one another. They both winced as their wounds were hurt by this. They could not help but laugh about it.  
"What's that racket?" came Thorin's grumpy voice. The Dwarf prince had woken up from the noise the brothers had made and was clearly not in the mood for something like this in the early morning.

When Thorin saw both Fili and Kili awake, with smiles on their faces, his grumpiness immediately vanished. He climbed out of his bed too and made his way over to his nephews.  
Thorin was trying to hide the fact that his wounds still hurt him a lot, but did not succeed too well. He was limping gravely and his teeth were clamped together in pain.

"It's good to see you are both doing better" he said, placing a hand on each of his nephew's shoulders, before turning to Kili with an extremely serious look on his face.  
"I think you have some explaining to do" Thorin said.  
Kili made to say something, but Thorin stopped him before he could utter a word.  
"No, no, not to me" he motioned with his head towards Fili. Kili looked at his brother, who was avoiding his gaze.  
"Yes, I think so too" Kili replied softly.

Thorin stared intently at both his nephews for a second, before he pulled on his boots and limped out of the House of Healing. He was probably off to look for the rest of the Company. 

* * *

The minute of awkward silence that followed between the two brothers felt like an age. Neither of them knew where to begin.

"You scared the living daylights out of me" Fili said softly after a while, still not looking at his brother. Kili had been dreading what was to come.  
"I am so sorry" he said, but he knew that it was never going to be enough to right his wrongs.

Suddenly Fili threw out everything that had been bothering him ever since the battle of the day before, unable to keep it in any longer.  
"Why, Kili, why didn't you say anything?! Do you even realize how stupid you have been?! You could have killed yourself! I was so worried, I thought I was going to lose you! And I just… cannot bear to live without you…"  
Kili felt himself shrink with shame. He had put his brother through so much misery, he now realized.  
"I just needed to make sure Thorin was going to be alright… I guess I wasn't really thinking" he whispered back.  
Fili shook his head madly. "I even asked you several times if you were alright! You could have at least told _me_! Not just keeping your mouth shut and hoping it would all go away!" He was now yelling at Kili and all the cropped up emotions of the day before rose high again.

Kili stared down at his boots and allowed Fili to release his anger and frustration on him. He knew he deserved it...  
He thought back to the moment he had given his brother the angry reply the day before. He realized now more than ever how much that had hurt Fili. How everything he had done the day before must have been agony for his big brother.  
Kili took a deep breath once Fili seemed out of things to say.  
"I am so sorry" he said again, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I could never hurt you on purpose. I have been an idiot in doing this, I know that, and Fili…"  
Fili finally looked up at his brother's face again.  
"… I would be nothing without you" Kili finished his sentence.

Kili had a look on his face Fili had never seen there before. It was a mixture of hurt, apology and shame. Seeing that, Fili suddenly felt he could no longer be angry with his brother.  
"Just don't _ever_ do that again" he said weakly as he pulled Kili into another embrace.  
"I promise" Kili whispered into Fili's hair, glad he was being forgiven.

They held on to each other for some time. When they let go they stood facing one another uneasily. This was one of the most serious disagreements they had ever had and it felt awkward to them both.  
"I'm actually quite hungry" Kili said in an attempt to break the tension. Fili now realized that he was famished too.  
"Let's see if the Elves' cooking is any good" Fili said smiling. 

* * *

"You think you can walk?" Fili asked his brother after they had properly dressed and put their boots back on. He looked at Kili with a bit of concern. Kili had constantly uttered sounds of pain while getting dressed and he was still quite pale.  
"As long as you do not start running and we don't come across any Orcs, I think I will be fine" Kili answered. The usual mischievous look had already returned to his eyes.

Fili was ready to support his brother in case it was necessary, as they slowly left the House of Healing behind.  
He cast a sideways glance at Kili. Even though his brother was still in pain, he was right there walking beside him. He knew Kili had learned his lesson and would never attempt anything as stupid again, but at the same time he knew that their safety could not always be guaranteed.

The Company would most likely stay in Rivendell for another few days, to give Thorin and Kili the chance to regain their strength as much as possible. But Fili knew that once they left Rivendell, the road would be as dangerous as ever again and then they had not even reached Smaug's lair yet.  
What would happen to them then? What would be their faith in the end? Would they still be alive at the end of the quest?

Fili felt Kili's shoulder brush past his as they walked. The feeling was comfortable to him.  
For now they could have their moment of peace. Just a couple more days of laughing and quietly being together before they would be off again. And if, in the end, he or his brother would have to perish on this quest, he just hoped it would be quick. He feared suffering and he knew Kili did too.

Both of them had never felt so happy walking next to the other. No matter what the future held for them, nothing or no one could ever take this moment away from them anymore. And that meant the world to them... 

* * *

****

**Thanks for reading. This was the last chapter. I hope you all liked the story.  
** **Still, all reviews are highly appreciated :-)  
**


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